Hello From the Other Side
by Hazel Roses
Summary: Gajeel was spiraling into the blackness of addiction and Levy was powerless to help him. He still thought he could quit on his own despite previous failures. After a near death experience, Gajeel cuts her off for the better and she's devastated. All she wanted to be his rock and help him through getting sober. Two years later, Levy comes in contact with the man who broke her heart.


_Ever since I heard this song, this one-shot had been running through my brain. I hope you enjoy it. The song lyrics do not belong to me. They are from Adele's song Hello and this is not intended for any profit, purely enjoyment._

 _Also, some of the characters that are animals have human personas in this story._

 _WARNING: Drug abuse_

* * *

Levy came home to their TV gone. She dropped her bag at the door, hazel eyes widening in disbelief. Her mouth was slightly agape as she took a trembling step inside the apartment. "Gajeel?"

Nothing but silence greeted her. Slowly kicking off her shoes, she padded across the wood floors to the soft white carpet of their bedroom, walking past the glass kitchen table that had a rolled-up dollar bill and a razor on it. The door swung open silently to show that the bedroom too was empty. Levy's heartbeat was the only thing she heard with each slow step towards her jewelry box sitting on her long dresser.

 _Please…_ she begged silently. _Please let it all still be there._

Her steps quickened until she was standing in front of her wooden jewelry box. Her heart sank when she saw the bottom two small drawers were ajar. She slid them open all the way, her hand going to her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. They were _gone._ All that stared back at her was the white felt that lined each of the drawers. She checked the other three and saw they also were empty. Swallowing as the painful lump caught in her throat, she slowly opened the top. Empty.

Levy sank to the floor. Her mother had just passed from breast cancer three weeks ago. Her jewelry had been her most prized possession. Some of the necklaces she remembered her mother wearing elegantly even as a small child. They were gone and there was no doubt in her mind that he'd sold them, just like he had the TV. Levy pulled her cell phone out of the pocket of the dark-gray jacket she was wearing and tried calling Gajeel. Continued ringing then went to voicemail.

 _Leave a message or hang up._

There was no telling where he was at this point. He would have gotten a lot of money for the jewelry and the TV, enough to fuel his addiction for a while. She had been gone for two days, who knew if he was in a ditch somewhere. She dialed again while wiping her eyes, anger making her hands shake. Listening closely, she realized that she could hear vibration coming from the bathroom. Levy walked over to it to find Gajeel sleeping on the floor. She kicked him in the back of his leg swiftly.

"Gajeel!" she called angrily before leaning down to shake him. "Gajeel wake up!"

He groaned. "Stop shakin' me would ya?!"

"No!" she cried. "Where are my TV and my mother's jewelry Gajeel?!"

He laid back down on the floor. Her nose crinkled, realizing he probably hadn't showered in a few days. She sat on top of him and shook his shoulders again. "Did you _sell_ my things?! _Wake up right now!_ "

"My head," he moaned, finally opening his eyes.

"Answer me!" she ordered, small fists grasping the front of his black tank top.

He looked away. "What do ya want me to say, Levy? You know the answer already."

"Why would you do that to me?!" she cried brokenly. "That jewelry was all I had left of my mother! I just buried her, and you take away one of the _most important_ things I have left in this world to remember her by?!"

Levy began to sob uncontrollably. "You told me you had quit. That you were getting better. You _lied_ to me. I can't trust you anymore Gajeel. I can't!"

His arms that had lost their muscular tone wrapped around her waist. "I'm sorry Levy. I have an addiction. It ain't as easy as I thought to quit."

Levy pushed him off forcefully and stood up, nearly stumbling. The wall caught her painfully, but she didn't feel it. The aching in her heart was far stronger than anything she'd ever felt physically. She'd found out three months ago that Gajeel was snorting cocaine. He had been for some time, but now it was out of control. She realized he seemed more hyper, more alert, and his pupils would be dilated. He had nosebleeds frequently. He was often gone for hours and would come back looking haggard. Levy ignored it. She ignored it because she loved him and she was in denial. They'd been together for a year and a half now; Levy couldn't imagine her world would be turned upside down by a drug problem. It finally took catching him in the act to stop pretending like she didn't know.

"You need to go into a rehab program," Levy said, crossing her arms underneath her chest. "I've given you too many chances."

Gajeel stood to his feet holding his abdomen. "Holy shit, my stomach is killin' me!" Looking over at Levy, he said, "Lemme try and quit on my own one more time."

"You said this last time Gajeel," Levy deadpanned. "What will make this time any different?"

"I don't wanna hurt ya anymore," he said quietly. "I have to do this for us."

Levy turned and exited the bathroom. "No Gajeel, you need to do it for _you."_

A month passed by, and it seemed like Gajeel was serious about stopping. The color returned to his cheeks. He'd gotten a job again. He overall was looking healthier. Things were starting to look up. Levy couldn't bear the thought of losing him to drugs. The rocky road they were heading down seemed to be clearing…until one Friday night, Gajeel didn't return home from work. Worried, Levy called his cell first, but it went straight to voicemail. Next, she decided to call his boss over at the factory.

"Miss Levy, Gajeel hasn't worked here in two weeks," Makarov spoke seriously. "He just quit coming in."

Dread was starting to build up in her stomach. Levy called him again. With no answer and left a message. "Gajeel? Where are you? You need to call me right away. Your boss says you haven't been to work in two weeks! What's going on? Please let me know you're alright."

Levy decided to try Gajeel's best friend everyone called Panther Lily. He knew about Gajeel's habit and also tried to help keep him on track. Panther Lily answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"I can't find Gajeel," Levy said exasperatedly. "I called his work and they said he hasn't been there in two weeks. Have you seen him?"

Panther Lily sighed. "He came over earlier today to hang out. Said he was off today. Let me check something really quick." There was some shuffling heard and the sound of a cabinet being opened. "He's taken my cash I was saving for a new weight set. We've got to find him, Levy."

She and Panther Lily spent hours looking around Magnolia for him. They frequented all the bars he liked to hang out, getting clues from different people for help. Levy even contacted Gajeel's father Metalicana for help in trying to track him down. Finally, at eleven at night, after many dead ends and still no calls from Gajeel, they stumbled into a dark alley where cocaine dealers were known to lurk. As they walked through the piles of trash and past the dumpsters, some sleazy male appeared, took one look at Levy, and licked his lips disgustingly.

"How much is she?" he questioned while rubbing his hands together and taking a step closer. "I'll take her off your hands for an hour."

Metalicana slammed the man up against the concrete wall behind him so hard it knocked the wind out of him. His eyes were such a light blue; they almost looked white. He was a large man, just like Gajeel and looked just as menacing. His long gray hair was pulled into a low ponytail that filtered down to the middle of his back and when he tightened his grip on the man's shirt, the muscles in his arms rippled their power.

"If you speak of her in that way again, I'll kill you," he said menacingly.

The man held his hands up in fear. "Hey, I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

Panther Lily stepped forward and held up a picture of Gajeel. "Have you seen this man?"

He studied it for a moment then nodded. "He's inside this building right here." The man pointed a shaky hand towards a door on the right a little further down. "Just go in that way."

Metalicana dropped the terrified man on his ass and moved forward. "Utter trash."

When they entered, the room was hazy and smelled heavily of marijuana and alcohol. Levy searched for Gajeel frantically with Panther Lily and Metalicana hot on her heels. She rounded the corner, knocking a drink out of a woman's hand as she rushed past her.

"Watch where you're going bitch!"

Her outburst fell on deaf ears when she saw Gajeel. He was standing on top of a couch, yelling and pointing angrily at nothing. Levy ran to him. "Gajeel what are you doing?!"

"I'm tryin' ta tell this asshole that this is my couch!" he yelled. "I don't need him telling me what to do right now!"

He was hallucinating. Levy took a step back, knowing he could become violent in this state of mind. Panther Lily reached up and grasped one of his arms. "Time to go home Gajeel."

"I'm not going anywhere, you over-muscled cat!" Gajeel shouted in Panther Lily's face. He looked over at his father for a moment. "Woah, you're a fuckin' cool looking dragon! Watch this, I can fly too."

Metalicana stepped forward, cocked his fist back, and slammed it into Gajeel's jaw, knocking him to the floor. "You're a disgrace boy!"

"No!" Levy shouted, but Panther Lily held her back. "Don't hurt him! Not while he can't understand what's happening!"

The people standing around didn't seem interested in what was going on and continued to dance, drink, and do drugs. Levy's eyes started to water. She looked up pleadingly at Panther Lily. "Please stop him!"

"This is between father and son," Panther Lily said solemnly.

Gajeel struggled to get to his feet and tried to swing at his father, who kneed him in the stomach. "Your mother is rolling over in her grave seeing what you've become!"

"No…no she's not," Gajeel coughed.

Metalicana hauled him up by his hair. "You've got to stop this boy. This can't continue."

"Dragon, I'm good I promise," Gajeel responded. "I just want ya to stop fuckin' hitting me!"

That earned him another solid punch to the face. This time, Gajeel didn't get up. Metalicana hauled him up and threw him over his shoulder. "Let's go."

Metalicana decided to keep Gajeel at his house until he woke up, but Levy insisted that she stay too. Metalicana fixed her a warm cup of coffee. She was still badly shaken up. Levy bounced her leg uncontrollably against the chair she was sitting on. Metalicana's worn features turned to her.

"How much longer are you going to put up with this Levy?"

She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know if I can keep dealing with this. I love him, but I don't know if I can help him if he's not willing to help himself or get the help he needs."

"Guys!" Panther Lily called urgently. "Something is wrong!"

The two of them rushed to the living room where Gajeel was resting on the couch to find him seizing. Levy was at his side in seconds. "Call an ambulance!"

 _It's no secret  
That the both of us are running out of time..._

Levy, Metalicana, and Panther Lily sat in the busy waiting area of the local hospital. A doctor came out and called for Gajeel's family. Levy jumped out of her seat and nearly ran to the doctor. "Is he okay?!"

"Are you his wife?" the doctor asked.

"Girlfriend," Levy answered. She turned and pointed and Metalicana. "This is his father."

"Sir, your son had complications from cocaine use," the doctor said solemnly. "He went into respiratory arrest, meaning he stopped breathing, and we had to assist him with breathing. He's breathing on his own now, but this was a very close call. It's imperative that he go to a rehab center because next time may be too late."

Those words hit Levy like a ton of bricks. She couldn't _imagine_ Gajeel dying, but tonight was a serious lesson He _had_ to turn his life around, or he was going to end it. Levy clasped her hands together in front of her and asked if she could see him. She sat by his side for two days straight, even calling in sick her work as a book translator. Her boss wasn't happy about that, but she assured Freed that she would work a double her first day back to make sure the book she was translated on would be ready for publishing the following week.

Gajeel awoke to a searing migraine, and the bright lights felt like they would make his head split open. "Turn off the fuckin' lights. Damn it."

When he was submerged in darkness, he finally cracked open an eye. He felt like he'd been run over by a train and at the same time, the need to be high was gnawing at his being. It seemed to get stronger every moment he was awake. Gajeel licked his lips, realizing how dry and cracked they were.

"Fuck…" he moaned, curling into a ball from the pain raging inside his body.

"Wake up, you disgrace," came his father's menacing voice. "Sit up!"

"No need for name callin'," Gajeel snapped. He still sat up like an obedient child.

He couldn't make eye contact with any of them. He honestly was _ashamed_ of how he'd been acting and what he put them through. Gajeel was sure he could stop on his own, but his addiction was like a sweet whisper, constantly caressing his mind, reminding him of how good it felt to be high. She would wrap her convincing arms around his neck, gently kissing his temple and telling him this would be the last time. It was a huge shot to his pride to know he had no control over this and at the same time, he didn't want to accept help. He couldn't get any lower than where he was in his life and damn it was going to get himself out of it, but _fuck_ his cravings were eating him alive!

" _God dammit!"_ Gajeel roared. He gripped his hair tightly, breathing heavily.

His mind was swimming as anger welled up in his being. He needed to get out of this fucking hospital room before he went insane. Panther Lily took a step forward. "What's wrong Gajeel?"

"Back up!" Gajeel screamed. He launched himself out of the bed, ripping his IV out of his hand in the process causing blood to spurt from the wound.

Levy watched in horror at the monster in front of her. The wild look in his eyes was terrifying. The doctor warned them that he may be irritable or become violent because of his withdrawals, but she wasn't prepared to see the love of her life acting so uncontrollably. He looked sick too. Dark circles around his eyes, hollow cheekbones, and his once flawless skin had scars. It made her heart _ache_ to see him like that.

"Gajeel, you have to stop!" Levy cried, running to him before Metalicana could grab her.

She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, her own heaving with sobs. Gajeel shoved her off. "I need to get out of here!"

"You're staying Gajeel!" Metalicana bellowed.

Levy never felt so broken in her life. Her love looked at her like he didn't even recognize her. This was the true face of an addiction. She swallowed thickly, realizing she had to make a choice, for her sanity, for her own happiness.

"You have to choose Gajeel," she said softly. "It's either me or the drugs. You can't have both."

"If you can't handle me at my worse, then fuckin' leave Levy!" Gajeel screamed. "Get the fuck out of here!"

Levy's eyes widened in shock as she stumbled back. "You…you can't mean that! You _don't_ mean that!"

" _Leave!"_

Levy turned and ran with Panther Lily calling after her. That answer was enough. Levy had been trying to work through this, struggling to be his rock to help him climb out of the frigid, icy grasp of the powerful ocean that was an addiction. Tears streamed down her face as she ran, the hallways blurring on either side of her. She made it outside to one of the benches and collapsed on it. All she wanted was for things to go back to before Gajeel discovered cocaine. They were so happy. Levy had never been as ecstatic as she was during their bliss together.

She placed her face in her lap and tried to compose herself. Panther Lily's large hand laid comfortingly between her shoulder blades, the bench shifting when he sat. Levy looked up at the rough looking man. He came off as intimidating because of how tall and built he was. At six foot six and 250 pounds of solid muscle, people often walked on the other side of the street. The scar above his left eye and the seriousness of his features completely shadowed his extremely gentle nature. Having a shaved head didn't help, but he was the sweetest person she'd ever met. He was kind hearted and cared about people. He seemed to be almost opposite of Gajeel.

"Levy," he said softly. "He's going through withdrawals. He didn't mean what he said."

"How do you know that?" she asked through hitched breaths.

Panther Lily rubbed her back gently. "He loves you more than anything. Just stick it out until he's finished detoxing."

Levy sat up and let out a shaky breath. Her small hands were balled into fists in her lap. "Okay."

A week went by before Gajeel was released from the hospital. Levy and Metalicana went to pick him up together. The older man looked at the giddy smile that was on the young woman's face and remembered how Gajeel's mother used to look at him like that. His idiot son was very lucky to have a girl like Levy, who tried to see him through the ugly parts of his life.

The automatic double doors opened and out stepped Gajeel. He looked from left to right and when his eyes fell on Levy, he didn't smile. Levy walked up to him. "How are you feeling?"

"We need to talk Levy," Gajeel said seriously, while gently grasping her arm and leading her away. "Give us a minute pops."

"Alright, young one."

They walked around the side of the large building arm in arm. Levy's gaze wandered to the leaves that were starting to abandon the trees because of the cooler weather. Different shades of brown, red, and orange blended together on the Earth's floor like a painting she waited every year to look at. The leaves swirled around her booted feet as they walked and every now and then, she heard them crunch beneath them.

Gajeel stopped in front of a large oak tree and detangled their arms to turn and face her. His expression worried her. He wouldn't look directly at her and reached up to run his hand through his unruly hair. Whatever he had to say wasn't good. Levy remained silent and waited for him to speak.

"Levy I…" He turned away from her. "I'm breaking up with you."

Her mouth opened in shock. "Why?!"

"Can't keep lettin' a fuck up like me drag you down," he answered. "Get out of here. You deserve better."

"I deserve whoever I want!" she argued. "We can work through this!"

"It's not that simple!" Gajeel yelled. "I'm gonna keep goin' back to it! I can't stop!"

"I can help you!" Levy cried, running up and embracing him. "Your _family_ can help you through this. Rehab would hel- "

"I'm not going to a fuckin' rehab," Gajeel deadpanned.

Levy began to cry. "Why Gajeel?! Cocaine has completely changed you and made you into someone I don't recognize! Don't you _want_ to get better?!"

"I do!" Gajeel pushed her off. "Listen, I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you. It's for your own good you don't be with someone like me." He turned and walked away. "Lose my number," he said over his shoulder.

Levy stood rooted to her spot, completely numb. Silent tears slid down her porcelain cheeks as Gajeel's form retreated until he turned a corner and she couldn't see him anymore. She wanted to run after him, plead with him, tell him _how much she loved him._ A garbled cry finally escaped her lips, and as she sank to the ground, her hands moved to cover her face as she wailed.

 _Two years later…_

Levy leaned her back against the coolness of the bar behind her and frowned. She looked over at her best friend. "Lucy, why are we here?!"

Lucy pushed Levy's shoulder playfully. "To have a good time of course! I told you, they have local artists come and perform here. Some are really talented!"

Levy did like to hear live music every now and then, but this place was so run down and was in desperate need of some refurbishing. The walls were bare and black. Aside from the small stage directly in front of them, there were a few plain tables and chairs. Lucy had told her the place was relatively new and the owner was working on fixing it up. Levy looked up from her drink when she heard the sounds of slight microphone feedback and her heart stopped.

 _Gajeel…_

It had been two long years since their break up. Levy tried her hardest to get Gajeel to realize that she loved him and wanted to help him through his rough times, but the harder she tried, the more distant he became. He blocked her number and when she tried calling Panther Lily or Metalicana, they both told her just to leave him alone. He'd come around when he was ready…but he never did.

Now here he was, pulling up a bar stool with a guitar in his lap. He looked healthy, like how he did when he first caught her eye so long ago. The hollowness in his face had disappeared, his skin looked clear, and he'd built his muscles back up. It looked like he was able to finally kick the habit. She swallowed thickly, waiting for him to begin his song. She loved to hear his deep, sultry voice when he sang. Levy couldn't count the number of times she'd told him his voice was beautiful. The stubborn man had always shrugged her off.

"Alright shut up already," he snapped into the microphone. That earned a laugh from the small crowd. Gajeel adjusted the microphone in the stand. "I wrote this song a while ago when life was kickin' me in the balls."

He leaned forward and closed his eyes as he began singing. Levy's heart melted at his voice. Lucy tapped her hand excitedly. "Isn't he amazing?! Levy?"

She was in another world, lost within the lyrics he'd created. Her eyes couldn't look away from his form.

 _Hello, it's me. I was wondering_

 _If after all these years you'd like to meet to go over_

 _Everything_

 _They say that time's supposed to heal, yeah_

 _But I ain't done much healing_

Levy stood to her feet unconsciously and slowly walked to towards the front of the stage. When she was a few feet away, Gajeel caught her eye. He noticeably looked taken aback, but he didn't stop singing. His crimson orbs locked with her chestnut colored ones. Levy slowly swayed her hips to his voice.

 _There's such a difference between us_

 _And a million miles_

Levy felt tears stinging at her eyes. The emotion he put into his song was grabbing her at the throat. She didn't have any doubt in her mind that this was about them. It had to be, and it was beautiful.

 _So hello from the other side_

 _I must've called a thousand times_

 _To tell you I'm sorry, forever thing that I've done_

 _But when I call you never seem to be home_

He strummed his guitar softly as he ended his song. The crowd went wild with cheers, but he didn't seem to hear them and neither did Levy. Time stood still as he placed his guitar next to him and jumped off the stage in front of Levy. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Levy didn't know what to say after everything that happened. She was _afraid_ to speak, knowing her voice would give away exactly how she was feeling.

"I'm sorry Levy," Gajeel said softly. "For puttin' you through that."

"I'm sorry too," she answered, clasping her hands nervously in front of her body. "Your song was beautiful."

"You're beautiful." Gajeel took a step forward. "Fuckin' gorgeous."

"Thank you," she answered. "So…are you..."

"Sober eighteen months," Gajeel responded without her having to finish that sentence. "I thought I was at the bottom until I realized you weren't there to help me up."

Levy didn't know what to say. "I wish you would have realized that then…"

She went to turn away, unable to handle the emotions that were racking her body. She was five seconds from bursting into tears, but the moment she tried to take a step, Gajeel grabbed her arm and whirled her back around. He embraced her tightly. One arm wrapped around her body while the other rested on the back of her head. His chin pressed tightly against her forehead.

"I'm sorry Levy."

She began a sobbing after those words. This exact moment had been haunting her in her dreams for so long, but each time, she'd wake up feeling empty. This was _real._ She hugged him back tightly. "I forgive you Gajeel."

Gajeel tilted her chin upwards and captured her mouth and the crowd roared in approval, clapping as whistling happily for them. Her arms reached up to wrap around his broad shoulders as she passionately kissed him back. When they finally separated, their hands linked together slowly.

Gajeel growled and dragged Levy back to the microphone. "Shut yer traps! It's over now!"

"It just started!" someone in the crowd echoed.

Everyone clearly agreed. Levy couldn't erase the smile from her face if she wanted to. It seemed they were no longer millions of miles apart.

 _Hello from the outside…_


End file.
